SuDS Maintenance and Management Plan

Development on the site at

“Woolspinners” Guildford Road

LOXWOOD

RH14 0SA

For
Randmere Limited

Document Reference LX/20/02157-SuDS

Revision - 03

Date 14th September 2022

This Maintenance Plan is issued for Randmere Limited, who commissioned it, and for the specific
purposes connected with the above development only. It should not be used for any other
purposes.
We accept no responsibility for the consequences of this document being relied upon by any other
party other than the householders at the development, or being used for any other purpose, or
containing any error or omission which is due to an error or omission in data supplied to us by
other parties.
This document contains confidential information and proprietary intellectual property. It should not
be shown to other parties, other than those connected to the development, without consent from
us and from Randmere Limited, who commissioned it.

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Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . 3
2 Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) General Description . . . . 4
3 Proposed SuDS at “Woolspinners” Development Site. . . . . 5
4 SuDS Scheme List of Items and Components. . . . . . 7
5 SuDS Drainage Maintenance Specification . . . . . . 8
5.1 Operation and Maintenance Activities . . . . . . . 8
5.2 Individual SuDS Components Operation and Maintenance Requirements . . 9
5.2.1 Soakaways . . . . . . . . . 9
5.2.2 Pervious Paving . . . . . . . . 10
5.2.3 Other SuDS Components (Individual Householders). . . . 11
 Inlet Items
 General Inspection Chambers
 Silt Trap Inspection Chambers
 Below ground drainage pipework
5.2.4 Other SuDS Components (Maintenance Management Company). . . 13
 Below ground drainage pipework
6 Contact Details . . . . . . . . . . 14
7 Maintenance Management Company General Information . . . . 15
8 Appendices . . . . . . . . . . 16
8.1 Surface Water Drainage Layout (sheet #1 of 2) . . . . . 16
8.2 Surface Water Drainage Layout (sheet #2 of 2) . . . . . 17
8.3 Constructional Details . . . . . . . . 18

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1 Introduction

1.1 Mate GeoTechnical Services has been appointed, by Randmere Limited, to undertake a
drainage design using sustainable techniques for a proposed small development in Loxwood,
West Sussex and to provide a SuDS Maintenance Plan (SMP) to enable the storm water drainage
system to be maintained and operated as intended within the design.
1.2 The SuDS Maintenance Plan is also required to discharge a Planning Condition as part of
the Planning Consent for the scheme.
1.3 Where SuDS components are underground, the maintenance will generally be based on
engineering requirements.
1.4 For the purpose of this document, maintenance refers to :-
 Inspections required to identify performance issues and to plan subsequent appropriate
maintenance needs.
 Operation and maintenance of the drainage system.
1.5 The function of the Surface Water Management System should be understood by those
responsible for monitoring and maintenance, regardless of whether components are below ground
or on the surface, such that if the system is well monitored and maintained, performance
deterioration can usually be minimised.
1.6 This Maintenance Plan includes :-
 The location of all the SuDS components across the development. Drawing MGS-
LX/20/02157-rev03 -- Surface Water Drainage Layout Sheet #1 of 2 details this.
 A summary of the design intent including design notes and testing data. Drawing MGS-
LX/20/02157-rev03 -- Surface Water Drainage Layout Sheet #2 of 2 details this.
 Details of all the individual SuDS components. Drawing MGS-LX/20/02157-rev03 --
Constructional Details show this.
 Depths of silt in components that will trigger maintenance actions. Details are within this
document.
 Visual indicators that will that will trigger maintenance actions. Details are within this
document.
1.7 The SuDS have been designed for easy maintenance and this Maintenance Plan identifies
the required maintenance activities which can be broadly defined as :-
 General day-to-day care – litter collection, regular gardening to control vegetation growth
and checking inlets where water enters the SuDS feature.
 Regular Maintenance and Inspections consisting of basic tasks carried out on a frequent
and predictable schedule, including inspections / monitoring, silt removal (if required more
frequently than once a year) basically within the Silt Trap Inspection Chambers, sweeping of
pervious pavements and litter / debris removal.
 Occasional Maintenance is likely to be required periodically, but on a much less frequent
and predictable basis than the regular tasks, silt removal where a slow build up occurs and weed
control within the pervious pavements.
 Remedial Maintenance describes the intermittent tasks that may be required to rectify
faults associated with the system, although the preponderance of such faults can generally be
minimised by the detailed regular maintenance activities. Where remedial work is found to be
necessary, it is likely to be due to unforeseen events, for example erosion repairs or pervious
pavement infiltration surface rehabilitation, which are site location specific, so any timing frequency
is difficult to predict.

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2 Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) General Description

The surface water management strategy has been developed using best practice Sustainable
Drainage Systems (SuDS) techniques. Guidance on the suitable techniques and methods has
been obtained from the SuDS manual (CIRIA C753).
It is recognised that flood risk and other environmental damage can be managed by minimising
changes in the volume and rate of surface runoff from development sites and recommends that
priority is given to the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in any new development.
The overall philosophy of SuDS is to replicate, as closely as possible, the natural drainage process
of a site prior to development, to mitigate the adverse effect of storm water runoff on the
environment. SuDS not only provide the ability for source control of the surface water flows, but
also improve water quality, amenity and bio-diversity within the development.
Building Regulations Requirement H3 stipulates that rainwater from roofs and paved areas is
carried away from the surface to discharge to one of the following, listed in the hierarchy of order
of priority as :-

1 - Discharge into the ground – Infiltration.

2 - Discharge to a surface water body – ditch, stream or pond.
3 - Discharge to a surface water sewer (public / private).

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3 Proposed SuDS at “Woolspinners” Development Site

3.1 General SuDS and Storm Water Drainage System

3.1.1 The site is a development of 4 residential units, consisting of 2 detached properties and a
pair of units within a semi-detached property, with a singular access off Guildford Road. There will
be individual dual space parking areas for each unit, as well as 2 visitor parking spaces located
near the entrance. The site is basically flat.
3.1.2 The responsibility for the maintenance of private systems, rests with the Individual
Householders for features within the curtilage of their own property, which include the geocellular
soakaways, the general drainage inspection chambers, the silt trap inspection chambers, all the
associated underground pipework and the plot specific permeable parking areas.
3.1.3 Shared features, including the on-site entrance roadway, the turning & access areas, the 2
visitor parking spaces, the and all of their associated pipework, will be maintained by the
Maintenance Management Company on behalf of the residents.
3.1.4 For the purposes of this document, maintenance refers to :-
 Inspections required to identify performance issues and plan appropriate maintenance
needs.
 Operation and maintenance of the drainage system.
3.1.5 The SuDS features comprise :-
 Geocellular Soakaways.
 Pervious Pavements detailed as Permeable Paving for the entrance roadway, turning &
access areas, the visitor parking bays and the private plot specific parking areas.
 General Inspection Chambers.
 Silt Trap Inspection Chambers.
 All the associated pipework.
3.1.6 It should be noted that a detailed guttering separational requirement exists on the semi-
detached building for plots 3 & 4. This is in place to isolate the plot roof areas and ensure that the
specific roof water flows, discharge to their respective calculated infiltration structures, and to
remove any shared commonality for the responsibility of the SuDS features for each of the two
plots.
3.1.7 The development is in flood zone 1. This means it has a low probability of flooding from
rivers and the sea. It also has no possible flooding issues from Reservoirs or from Surface Water.
3.1.8 The DEFRA website indicates that the site does not lie within a Source Protection Zone,
where infiltration structures may have an impact.

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3.2 Proposed Storm Water Drainage System

3.2.1 The proposed storm water drainage system is as shown on the drawing set MGS-
LX/20/02157 rev03 as :-
 MGS-LX/20/02157 rev03 Sheet #1 of 2 -- Full On-Site Surface Water Drainage Layout and
Key Details.
 MGS-LX/20/02157 rev03 Sheet #2 of 2 -- Detailed Drainage Notes and Testing &
Investigation Data.
 MGS-LX/20/02157 rev03 -- Constructional Details for the SuDS Components.
3.2.2 The storm water drainage system within the site has been designed to cater for a 100 year
storm return period with a 40% climate change allowance addition, so as to not flood above
ground level.
3.2.3 The Entrance Roadway, the common Access & Turning areas and the 2 visitor parking
spaces are to be of a permeable paved surface and drainage structure defined as Pervious
Pavements. This is also the case with the plot specific private parking areas for each of the 4
properties.
 The Entrance Roadway and the 2 visitor parking spaces are designed to be self-draining
only, as is each of the 4 properties’ private parking areas.
 The common Turning & Access areas provide separate storage and infiltration for plots 3
& 4, as well as being self-draining.
3.2.4 The main geocellular SuDS features are separate and individual geocellular storage and
infiltration structures. Due to the high level of groundwater present, recorded during the wet winter
monitoring period, it has been necessary for the design to be of a shallow blanket style infiltration
system with a shallow level of cover.
 All the proposed on-site geocellular storage & infiltration has been designed using below
ground geocellular structures, utilising shallow units manufactured by Brett-Martin.
3.2.5 During rainfall events, storm water runoff from the roof enters the below ground drainage
system via rainwater downpipes. The runoff is conveyed through the site by below ground pipes.
There is no runoff from any of the pervious pavement areas as the storm water passes through the
permeable surface blockwork into the infiltrating coarse grained aggregate below.
3.2.6 The design has been submitted for approval by the Local Planning Authority (Chichester
District Council).

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4 SuDS Scheme List of Items and Components

4.1 The following lists the SuDS components which are found within the drainage system of the
development at “Woolspinners” :-
Inlet Items such as rain water downpipes. These should be free from obstruction at all times to
allow free flow through the SuDS system. Propriety leaf-guards can be fitted at the top of the
rainwater downpipe within the system of guttering.
General Inspection Chambers are used on bends where pipework changes direction or where
pipes come together. They allow access, both upstream and downstream, for investigating and
cleansing to the system if necessary.
Silt Trap Inspection Chambers These are the pre-treatment inlet components immediately prior
to the infiltration structure. They have a typical sump depth (below the outgoing pipe) of 420mm –
450mm and can be fitted with baskets to trap the silt recovered.
Below ground drainage pipes may provide some storage of the runoff within the SuDS system,
in extreme events, whilst principally conveying water through the SuDS system to the infiltration
structures. They should be free from obstruction at all times to allow the free flow of run off.
Soakaways. These are one part of the Storage and Infiltration Structures for the SuDS system.
They are designed to cater for the worst case storm of a 100 year return period with an increase of
+40% for Climate Change allowance, to not flood above ground level. They are basically
maintenance free / non-maintainable structures and rely on the successful maintenance of all the
upstream SuDS components. For small scale urban developments, especially where separate and
unique soakaways serve each individual properties, there is no requirement for an access or
maintenance port into the geocellular structure, however it is recognised that, in the event of
identifying performance issues, CCTV can be carefully used to view the state of the geocellular
structure, in terms of water levels and possible degrees of siltation (in the circumstances where the
maintenance regime has been ignored), by entering at the 100mm diameter exit pipe at the Silt
Trap Inspection Chambers.
Pervious Pavements (described within the site as the permeable paving). The pervious pavement
aggregate is also used as a primary storage and infiltration structure for the SuDS system. It is
designed to cater for the worst case storm of a 100 year return period with an increase of +40% for
Climate Change allowance, to not flood above ground level. It is basically non-maintainable except
for the permeable surface, concrete block maintenance, itself.
In the site design there are two types of pervious pavements. One is for storage and infiltration -
the access & turning areas and one for self-draining infiltration only - the entrance roadway, the 2
visitor parking spaces and the individual plot parking areas.
The pervious pavements, for the access & turning areas is defined as “storage & self-draining” for
itself and some roof water draining only. As for soakaways above, CCTV can be used for the very
limited evaluation of the state of the aggregate structure, in terms of water levels and possible
degrees of siltation (in the event of ignoring the maintenance regime), by entering at the 100mm
diameter exit pipe at the Silt Trap Inspection Chambers. They rely on the successful maintenance
of all the upstream SuDS components.
The pervious pavement for the entrance roadway, the 2 visitor parking spaces and the individual
plot parking areas are non-viewing structures since they are defined as “self-draining” only.

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5 SuDS Drainage Maintenance Specification

5.1 Operation and Maintenance Activities

Maintenance activities can be broadly defined as :-
i) Regular maintenance (including inspections).
Regular maintenance consists of basic tasks carried out to a frequent and predictable
schedule, including inspections / monitoring, silt removal, if required more frequently than
once per year, vegetation management, sweeping of surfaces and litter & debris removal.
ii) Occasional maintenance
Occasional maintenance comprises tasks that are likely to be required periodically, but on
a much less frequent and predictable basis than the regular tasks (e.g. silt / sediment
removal).
iii) Remedial actions
Remedial actions describes the intermittent tasks that may be required to rectify faults
associated with the system, although the likelihood of faults can be minimised by observing
the regular maintenance activities program. Where remedial work is found to be
necessary, it is likely to be due to site-specific characteristics or unforeseen events, and so
timings are difficult to predict. Remedial maintenance can comprise activities such as:
 Erosion repairs
 Infiltration surface rehabilitation (Pervious Paving)

iv) Monitoring
The monitoring actions are a regular and important part of any maintenance program.
They provide feedback as regards to any performance reduction or degradation of any of
the SuDS components. This is especially true where any reduction in performance is
small and slowly decreasing. It is recommended for individual householders that some
sort of monitoring log is kept so as to evaluate any medium to longer change effects.
v) ‘End of Life’ actions
These actions are basically the replacement of the major infiltration structures – the
soakaways and the pervious pavements. The inspection chambers and below ground
pipework have significantly longer lifespans and would only need replacing in the event of
potential future constructional damage. The replacement period of the infiltration
structures will be accelerated if poor or negligible maintenance procedures are adopted,
or if they are subjected to excess structural overloading. In all instances the
recommended manufacturers’ period of component replacement should be followed as
well as their recommended replacement and constructional methods.

The tables below summarise the maintenance activities required for each of the SuDS
components.

It should be noted that due to the shallow depth of cover for the geocellular soakaways for
each property, in times of low rainfall levels, particularly during the summer period, the garden
areas in the location of these soakaways may brown-off and dry out significantly more than the
adjacent garden areas. This has nothing to do with any failure of the underlying soakaway
structures and so any ‘maintenance activity’ here is to be avoided – with the exception of light
watering if possible. The garden area will recover in time of increased rainfall.

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5.2 Individual SuDS Components Operation and Maintenance Requirements
5.2.1 Soakaways – Table 13.1 CIRIA C753
Geocellular Soakaway Infiltration Structures. These are shallow “blanket type” structures using
Brett-Martin StormCrate55 units of 347mm deep with a cover depth of 400mm for plots 1 & 2, and
a cover depth of 350mm for plots 3 & 4.
The Maintenance Schedule is broadly based on that which is detailed in Table 13.1 CIRIA C753
below, but it should be stated that this table is principally annotated for concrete ring soakaway
structures, to which there are none within the design.
It should be pointed out that there is minimal maintenance that can be performed on a geocellular
infiltration structure as detailed elsewhere in this document.
The responsibility for the maintenance schedule for geocellular soakaways lies with each of the
individual householders for their own structure.

Maintenance Required actions Typical Frequency

Schedule
Regular None required since if the maintenance regimes for N/A
Maintenance pipework, general inspection chambers and silt trap
chambers are followed, it should then follow that the
soakaway should perform to design characteristics.
Occasional CCTV surveys at the end of the inlet pipe to ascertain As required based
Maintenance water levels and silt levels, entering at the exit pipe of the on inspections
silt trap inspection chamber.
Remove any deep rooted plants from above the footprint
As required based
area of the soakaway to eliminate root ingress into the
on inspections
structure.
Remedial Reconstruct the soakaway and / or replace or clean the As required
Actions void fill space if performance deterioration is suspected or
a complete failure occurs.
Replacement of a clogged geotextile membrane. This will
result in the reconstruction of the soakaway. As required
Monitoring Performance can be gauged by noting the rate of silt Monthly in the first
accumulation within the silt trap inspection chamber. year and then
annually

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5.2.2 Pervious Pavements – Table 20.15 CIRIA C753
Regular inspection and maintenance is important for the effective operation of pervious
pavements. They should be inspected regularly, preferably during and after heavy rainfall to check
effective operation and to identify any areas of ponding. Infiltration clogging is the issue here.
Pervious pavement surfaces need to be regularly cleaned of silt and other sediments to preserve
their infiltration capacity. Extensive experience suggests that sweeping once per year should be
sufficient to maintain an acceptable infiltration rate. However, in some instances, more or less
sweeping may be required and the frequency should be adjusted to suit site-specific
circumstances and should be informed by inspection reports.
For this development a smaller precinct sweeper should be used for the regular sweeping of the
entrance roadway and the access & turning areas. Care should be taken in adjusting vacuuming
equipment (if used) to avoid removal of loose jointing material between the concrete blockwork.
Any lost material should be immediately replaced. It is also possible to clean the surface using
lightweight rotating brush cleaners combined with power spraying using hot water.
For the plot specific parking areas and the visitor parking bays sweeping using a stiff broom may
all be that what is required due to the light traffic wear.
If the surface has clogged then a more specialist sweeper with water jetting and oscillating and
rotating brushes may be required, to restore the surface infiltration characteristics to an acceptable
level.
Table 20.15 provides guidance on the type of operational and maintenance requirements that may
be appropriate. The list of actions is not exhaustive and some actions may not always be required.
Many of the specific maintenance activities for pervious pavements can be undertaken as part of a
general site cleaning contract. The responsibility for the maintenance of the pervious pavements
lies with the Maintenance Management Company. Note that the plot specific parking areas are the
responsibility of the individual householders.

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5.2.3 Other SuDS Components (Individual Householders)
General
Collect all litter or other debris and remove it from site at each visit.
Avoid wide-scale use of weed-killers and pesticides to prevent chemical pollution.
Avoid de-icing agents wherever possible.
Protect all below ground drainage through careful selection and placement of hard and soft
landscaping.
The responsibility for the maintenance schedule for each of the SuDS components listed here lies
with each of the individual householders.

SuDS Item / Required Maintenance Actions Typical Frequency

Component
Maintenance
Schedule

Inlet Structures such as rain water downpipes, should be free from obstructions at all times to
allow free flow through the SuDS. Leaf guards can be fitted at the top of the rainwater downpipe
within the guttering.
Regular Inspect rainwater downpipes removing obstructions and Monthly
Maintenance silt as necessary. Check that there is no physical damage.
Cut back vegetation on a 1 metre minimum surround to
Quarterly
any structure and keep area free from silt and debris.
Occasional Undertake inspection and leaf clearing of the RWP Leaf- Annually
Maintenance guards (if fitted) after leaf fall in Autumn.
Remedial Repair any physical damage if necessary. As required
Actions
Monitoring Performance can be gauged by noting that there is no Generally after
water pooling around the base of the rainwater down heavy rain storms
pipes due to blockages.

General Inspection Chambers are used on bends where below ground pipework changes
direction or where pipes come together. They allow access, both upstream and downstream, for
cleaning to the system if necessary.
Regular Remove the covers and inspect, ensuring that the water is Monthly for first 3
Maintenance flowing freely and that the exit route for water is months then
unobstructed. Remove debris and silt. Undertake quarterly
inspection after leaf fall in Autumn.
Occasional Check topsoil levels are higher than the edges of any As necessary
Maintenance chamber to avoid damage by mowers, typically by 25mm.
Remedial Repair any physical damage if necessary. As required
Actions
Monitoring Performance can be gauged by noting whether any Generally after
general inspection chamber starts to fill up or has become heavy rain storms
surcharged.

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Silt Trap Inspection Chambers These are the pre-treatment inlet structure immediately prior to
the infiltration structure. They have typical sump depths of 420mm – 450mm and can be fitted with
baskets to hold the silt recovered.
Regular Remove cover and inspect, ensuring that the water is Quarterly
Maintenance flowing freely and that the exit route for water is
unobstructed. Check any silt levels up from the base or
in the basket. If these silt levels are greater than
200mm then remove all the silt.

Occasional Check topsoil levels are higher than the edges of any As necessary
Maintenance chamber to avoid damage by mowers, typically by 25mm.

Remedial Repair any physical damage if necessary. As required

Actions
Monitoring Performance can be gauged by noting the frequency at Whenever cleaning
which the silt trap inspection chamber needs cleaning out. out occurs

Below ground drainage pipes may provide some storage of the runoff within the SuDS system
whilst principally conveying water through the SuDS system. They should be free from obstruction
at all times to allow free flow of run off.
Regular Maintain vegetation within the vicinity of below ground Monthly for first 3
Maintenance drainage pipes to avoid root ingress / damage to the months then as
pipework. required
Occasional Inspect all inlets and outlets to ensure that they are in
Maintenance good condition and operating as designed.
Every 5 years or as
Survey inside of pipe runs for sediment build-up and required
cleanse if necessary.
Remedial Repair any physical damage if necessary. As required
Actions
Monitoring Performance can be gauged by noting whether any Generally after
general inspection chamber or silt trap inspection chamber heavy rain storms
starts to fill up or has become surcharged.

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5.2.4 Other SuDS Components (Maintenance Management Company)

The responsibility for the maintenance schedule for the SuDS component listed here lies with the
Maintenance Management Company.

SuDS Item / Required Maintenance Actions Typical Frequency

Component
Maintenance
Schedule

Although the silt trap inspection chambers (draining from plots 3 & 4), and feeding into the
pervious pavement access and turning areas structures, are not a specific responsibility of the
Maintenance Management Company, it is recommended that they are inspected by the
Maintenance Management Company on a regular quarterly basis, to evaluate whether any issues
arise and from whence, and then to inform the respective householder should the issue in question
be within the householder’s purview.

Below ground drainage pipes may provide some storage of the runoff within the SuDS system
whilst principally conveying water through the SuDS system. They should be free from obstruction
at all times to allow free flow of run off.
Regular Maintain vegetation within the vicinity of below ground Monthly for first 3
Maintenance drainage pipes to avoid root ingress / damage to the months then as
pipework. required
Occasional Inspect all inlets to ensure that they are in good condition
Maintenance and operating as designed.
Every 5 years or as
Survey inside of pipe runs for sediment build-up and required
cleanse if necessary.
Remedial Repair any physical damage if necessary. As required
Actions
Monitoring Performance can be gauged by noting whether any of the Generally after
householder silt trap inspection chambers, draining from heavy rain storms
plots 3 or 4, starts to fill up or has become surcharged.

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6 Contact Details

Details of whom to contact if the SuDS system appears to be operating incorrectly.

In the event of a concern or failure of a SuDS design feature contact:

Randmere Limited

Web randmere.co.uk
Email info@randmere.co.uk

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7 Maintenance Management Company General Information

Randmere Limited will, within the first 6-12 months of construction, form a Maintenance
Management Company within the structure of the current company and funded by themselves to
facilitate the maintenance of the common areas drainage system as per the requirements and
specifications within this document.

Once the dwellings become occupied, each of the 4 householders will pay a fixed annual fee -- yet
to be determined -- towards covering the costs of the Regular Maintenance as detailed above and
a separate annual amount – again yet to be determined – towards a sinking fund to cover Remedial
Maintenance so that irregularly timed, large bills are not encountered in the events of unforeseen
circumstances.

Should the maintenance company fail to carry out its duties then the maintenance company will
be obliged to refund any funds to the householders and a new company is to be appointed by a
representative of the householder group to carry out the maintenance duties. This will be written
into the Maintenance Contract.

15
8 Appendices
8.1 Surface Water Drainage Layout (sheet #1 of 2)

16
8.2 Surface Water Drainage Layout (sheet #2 of 2)

17
8.3 Constructional Details

18